Category: Yoga

Although considered by many simply as an exercise fad, yoga practice has in fact helped thousands of people in improving their physical and mental fitness. Remember the golden rule of never judging a book by its cover; if you think that yoga’s all about bending and breathing and nothing else, think again.

The History of Yoga

The practice of yoga has been around for more than four thousand years already. Its origins can be traced back to India where even today, it is considered as a highly valued practice to reach a state of enlightenment. Yoga as a means to receive enlightenment is a central point in several religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

In other parts of the world, the popularity of yoga is caused by its many health benefits and its associated use with asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga as fitness exercises.

Purpose of Yoga and Its Main Components

Besides reaching a spiritual state of enlightenment, yoga can also help individuals reach a better understanding of not only their bodies but their inner selves as well.

When practicing yoga, you’ll notice that you’ll be concentrating on three main points:

Body Positioning or Posture
Breathing Techniques
Meditating Techniques

Advantages of Yoga

Treating Back Injuries – yoga can heal back injuries that you may have by increasing the blood circulation for your injured tissues to heal faster and strengthening your lower back muscles; yoga may also in several cases heal other types of injuries as well

Prevention – Yoga also has the power to reduce chances of re-injuring yourself, shorten the time needed to recover from injuries and serve as a regular exercise technique to prevent disabilities

Mental Clarity and Improved Stress Control – The quiet and deeply relaxing techniques used in yoga would help you have a better state of mind every day at work and better control of your stress levels

Greater Self-Understanding and General Well-Being – Find yourself amazed with how much at peace you feel with yourself when you start practicing yoga regularly

Generally Better Physical Health – Besides getting that ideal toned figure you’ve been aiming for, yoga will also help in refreshing your kidneys and maintain a better posture

Better Sleep – Rediscover the simple pleasures of sleeping with the help of yoga.

Beginner’s Tips for Yoga Practice

Consult Your Doctor – Before launching on to the first yoga step you encounter, make sure that your doctor gives you the go-ahead to do so. Yes, it’s true that anyone can technically do yoga but there are certain difficult poses that would be impossible or dangerous to attempt if you are troubled with past injuries or disabilities.

Just to be on the safe side, talk to your doctor and ask him if you can yoga your way to having a sexy figure or not.

Classes or Private Lessons – When you’re determined to join a yoga class, make sure that you’re joining a class whose level fits yours. Make sure that you join the class on the first day as well to avoid feelings of insecurity when you see others being able to tackle new yoga poses that boggle the mind. Secondly, choose a class schedule that you can regularly adhere to. If you only attend a class or two every two months, that’s sort of defeating the point of joining a class in the first place. Lastly, choose the type of yoga class that fits your taste and abilities.

On the other hand, if you’re not the social type, you can always attempt yoga practice at home and with the comforts of privacy. The only disadvantage to this however is the chance that you’re not doing something right and the possibility of causing harm to yourself. The best compromise, in this case, would be to hire a private teacher for a lesson or two or until you know enough to practice on your own.

A medicine ball is also commonly used by athletes who have sustained an injury, and seek rehabilitation. They are also extensively used by secondary schools as a fitness aid, by lifting the ball, or performing different exercises with the ball incorporated to increase the strain on a particular muscle.

What is A Swiss Ball?
A Swiss ball is a ball constructed of elastic rubber with a diameter of around 55 to 85 cm (22 to 34 inches). It is used in physical therapy and exercise.

Yoga with Balance Ball?
Doing yoga on a ball allows your body to open gently so you can keep your breath flowing and remain aware of signs of strain so you don’t injure yourself. The balance ball supports you in certain poses and helps you modify each posture to suit your body.

Sit on The Ball!
Sitting on a ball instead of a chair is a great way to keep your spine healthy. Try to sit on a ball for at least part of your work day, if you have a desk job. When you sit on a ball, you’re forced to sit up with good posture because you have nothing to lean back on. Also, because the ball rolls around, it keeps you on your toes and keeps your body moving, which help prevent the stiffness and back pain that you can get from being too sedentary.

Bent Knee Bridge for Buttocks and hamstrings
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels resting on top of the ball. Spread your arms out on either side of you. Lift your butt off the floor while squeezing it, and push your hips toward the ceiling. Pause at the top of the movement, then go back to the starting position.

The following are some guidelines in planning and running a medicine ball session :-

1. Always ensure the athletes carry out a thorough warm up and warm down
2. Before starting a session, explain the procedures for each exercise with your athletes
3. Partners who feed the medicine ball on certain exercises should be well drilled on what is required
4. Medicine ball exercises must precede high intensity work
5. Start sessions with lighter less dynamic exercises, then progress to heavier exercises
6. The program should have exercises that match the pattern of movements of the sport
7. Plan the program to exercise alternate body parts (legs, upper body, torso)
8. You will need to have a number of different weights of ball available – heavy, medium and light

A primary benefit of exercising with a Swiss ball as opposed to exercising directly on a hard flat surface is that the body responds to the instability of the ball to remain balanced, engaging many more muscles to do so. Those muscles become stronger over time to keep balance.

When you think about yoga, you likely think first of poses that emphasize self awareness and flexibility. You can, though, link poses in series called yoga vinyasas. In these vinyasas, the poses are done in a free-flowing sequence that adds to your overall yoga experience. While your yoga teacher is trained to create vinyasas for you, there are also certain existing sequences that you can do on your own once you know what poses they involve. Two that are particularly popular in the West are the Sun Salutation and Warrior II.

Sun Salutation

One of the most popular sequences is known as the Sun Salutation. It is a single flow of 12 different yoga postures. With each, you should inhale to accompany your stretching and exhale as you contract or fold your body in. This particular vinyasas is designed to build your strength and increase your overall flexibility. Like with most vinyasas, you may find variations on this depending on what style of yoga you are using, but there are a few basic poses and a flow that is fairly consistent among the variations.

For the Sun Salutation, you go through the flow twice in order to complete one round. Do it one time for the right side of the body and the other time for your left. If you are crunched for time, still try to do at least one. Even that one half of a sequence will help you to feel revitalized.

The sun salutation starts with mountain. From there you go with hands up, head to knees, lunge, plank, and stick. Still flowing, you go into upward dog, downward dog, and lunge. Finally, the sequence finishes with head to knees, hands up, and mountain again. As you can see, the Sun Salutation is naturally circular just as many other yoga sequences are.

Warrior II

Another popular sequence for yogis in the West is called Triangle, or the Warrior II. This particular vinyasas emphasizes your breathing. Though it is usually recommended to try this moving between positions on the beat of your breath, you can experiment with different breathing patters to see what is best for you and how each affects you. In fact, this ability to freely experiment is what has made this such a popular vinyasas.

The sequence for Warrior II works through four poses. You will use Mountain, Triangle, Warrior II and the standing Yoga Mudra. Moving in that order, you will flow through the sequence in time with your breathing. This particular sequence will have a tendency to release stress and help with your flexibility. Be sure, as with all yoga, to pay careful attention to your breathing patterns while staying focused on yourself.

Once you begin to learn a number of yoga poses, you can begin to experiment with vinyasas on your own or with a teacher. They allow you to not only work within the poses, but also to maintain both a physical and mental flow when you perform your daily yoga. Additionally, you can find other yoga sequences that suit your skill level, need, and style of yoga. Overall, the vinyasas are a part of yoga that may help you see and feel results more quickly and more consistently.

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a book of 195 separate phrases that are designed to be easy to memorize. Because it is a work that is every bit as much a part of modern yoga as it was a part of the birth of yoga, this particular book is held in very high esteem in the yoga world.

Some Background

The origin of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the topic of some debate among both historians and practitioners. For instance, there are some people out there who wealthbuilding.co.za”>credit the writing of this set of sutras to a grammarian named Patanjali. Later, though, a timeline was constructed that showed that to be unlikely. Within the yoga community, though, many say that Patanjali was actually just a compiler and that before the work was written, the Sutras were simply memorized and passed down between teacher and student. Timelines do, though, suggest this text was constructed in about the second century B.C.

The name of this text is named using Sanskrit words: yoga, you probably know, is a mindset wherein you are able to gain mastery of feelings and thoughts alike. Sutra literally means “thread.” This thread is basically the connection between the sutras in the work. In fact, some people call the Patanjali Sutras the Yoga Aphorisms in English. It is not an altogether incorrect loose translation.

Understanding the Text

The sutras in the text are divided into four books. Fifty one of the sutras are contained in the book called Samadhi Pada, fifty five of them are in Sadhana Pada, fifty five are also in Vibhuti Pada, and thirty four of the sutras can be found in Kaivalya Pada.

The book Samadhi Pada contains sutras that are most considered fundamental to yoga. It emphasizes that yoga is about discipline and that it is the ability to master your feelings and thoughts. Many of the most famous yoga sutras come from this particular book.

In the Sadhana Pada, there is much about practice since the Sanskrit word “sadhana” actually does mean practice. This chapter is where Kriya Yoga and the eight limbs of yoga first appear. These aspects reflect the idea that yoga is both selfless and spiritual.

The Vibhuti Pada can be translated “power.” The roles of the sutras in this particular book are to describe and help the yogi to achieve full awareness through yoga. It is essentially about attaining higher levels of awareness of one’s self.

Finally, the Kaivalya Pada means, again in Sanskrit, “isolation.” What this book is really about, though, is achieving liberation, according to the principles set within it. Yoga teaches to concentrate on self and attaining higher levels of consciousness, and this book uses 34 sutras to pursue this idea.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are a staple for many, and describe the ideas upon which the yoga tradition has passed through more recent (from the 2nd century BC), history.

Yoga is said to be the oldest practice of self-development known. It started in India which dates back about 500 years ago. By exercising Yoga, one can gain information and benefits on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Moreover, it encourages the individual to focus on his or her capabilities as well as self-awareness.

There are several methods of Yoga. This includes physical postures, breathing control as well as meditation. But most of the time, people engage in Yoga to shape up and to improve one’s health and well-being. Only a few are really into pure mediation and reflection without doing or performing the Yoga asanas.

It is said that Yoga is not a series of steps to be followed but an evolving process. Through time, one who practices it is cleansed and aware of his being. As a result, he perceives life as good and does well on many aspects.

Through Yoga, one can practice or improve his body. Furthermore, he can practice controlling his breath and knows self-control. He or she also attains or has the capability to direct his mind and to interact with the object of his concentration. However, one must be dedicated enough in order to achieve these goals and have its corresponding benefits.

Yoga has become a common practice nowadays and has influenced millions around the world. Different classes and groups are found in various cities and regions. The most common form of Yoga is Hatha yoga. This kind of yoga involves breath and body coordinated. Through physical exercise and harmonized breathing, a certain relief and blood circulation is improved.

This can increase one’s vitality, strength and flexibility. Hatha yoga is only one form of Yoga. There are still many other kinds aside from that. Some are fast aerobic Yoga workouts while some are strong precise styles for the fitness conscious people. There are also styles for those who prefer gentle and focuses more on healing.

Yoga is open to all people of different ages, faiths and lifestyles. One need not pay for a personal tutor or attend a prestige Yoga class. There are books and references which you can use if you want to learn Yoga self-taught.

However, you must choose a kind or form of Yoga that is apt for you and your lifestyle. It is also important to know your own qualities so that your learning is guided. It is because each kind of Yoga has its own unique form of meditation.New forms of Yoga are also developed nowadays.

In addition, there are videos and dvd’s available in the market to guide you as a beginner. There are also supplies sold and available when you are already applying or performing the physical activities involved in Yoga. There are videos like Yoga for athletes, yoga for couples, yoga with grace and strength and yoga workout for beginners.

There are various supplies and equipment that can be used while you are into a Yoga session. Equipments like yoga mats, yoga belts, yoga straps and blocks. There are mats that provide support when you are already into the exercise.

hese mats protect and serve as a cushion for you when you are performing on hard floors. They are accompanied with Yoga straps as well as blocks that aid you in your Yoga workout.

In addition, it is advised that you pick clothing that will not prevent you from moving freely. In this way, you can stretch and optimize your flexibility skills.

Yoga schools hold a special place in yoga education because many of the top locations are in the cradle of yoga’s birth: India. These schools offer some of the most complete and intense training for yoga in the world. Though you could attend a school anywhere, learning in India might be compared to learning culinary skills in France, or literature in London. Whether attending short term classes to train or long term classes to learn the art of teaching yoga, these institutions are places with many yoga education options to choose from. Here are a few you might find in your average yoga school.

Sopan

Yoga Sopan is considered one of the easiest types of yoga to master. The course is often a week long or less. For those who are new to yoga, even in India, this is the place to start. You will learn the movements of yoga as well as the breathing techniques, chanting and meditation. All of these are the foundation of yoga and thus will virtually always be available in a high level yoga school. Mastering Sopan is like learning the fundamentals of any sport or activity: it builds a base and foundation upon which greater things may be built.

Pravesh

In somewhere between 25 and 35 days, most schools will help you to learn Yoga Pravesh. For about an hour per day you work on the movements of your limbs while adding in the movement of neck, waist and hips for a more complete yoga foundation. As yoga schools move along, there will often be lectures or talks added during lessons so that you may gain a better overview of not just the physical side of yoga but also the mental and spiritual sides.

Certification

If you wish to pursue an actual degree in Yoga from a yoga school, they can take anywhere form 3-5 months. In them, once you have built a proper base, you will be introduced to the idea of asanas as well as the more advanced methods for self cleansing and mental focus. You will likely, in addition to yoga session, be involved with research and lecture too as gaining a yoga degree is a complete merger of mind, body, and spirit. This merger will allow you to practice yoga at the highest level and maybe even pursue teaching since you will have truly learned to combine your mind, body, and spirit.

Advanced Degrees

In addition to the degrees and levels listed, you can work up to advanced teaching degrees at many yoga schools. Whether you are becoming a teacher or just wish to master the ins and outs of yoga as a practitioner, you will find that these schools offer you the best in what yoga has to offer you at every level of your being. Remember, as with any yoga instruction, though, always make sure you are comfortable with the school you enter. Yoga is about trust and balance, and with the plethora of high level schools in India and around the world, you will surely find what you need.

While many consider Yoga to be a form a physical exercise, it is also known to be an exercise in spiritual development. Most would agree that the true goal of Yoga is to provide the individual with the means to achieve inner peace and balance. To achieve these lofty goals, students are encouraged to become familiar Yoga’s eight fold path. The eight fold path consists of eight disciplines; Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samhadi.

The first fold, Yama, advises students to engage with the world from a moral standpoint, and is actually broken down into five distinct elements. The first element, Ahimsa, teaches the student to respect the world around him. The second, Satya, teaches that one should be honest with themselves and with others. The third, Asteya, teaches not to steal from another. The fourth, Bramacharya, advises against overindulgence of any form. The fifth, Aparigraha, teaches the student to live a simple life that is not distracted by material things.

Niyama, or the second fold, is considered the path of self restraint and consists of three distinct elements. Shaugh, the first element, teaches students to keep the body and mind clean and pure. Santosh, the second element, teaches the student to be happy and contented with the task at hand and to give an honest effort in all endeavors. Tapa, the third element, suggests that certain pleasures must be given up in order to attain one’s goals.

Asana is the third of the eight fold path, and it is concerned with physical training and building stamina. Asana is made up of 84 yoga poses, which are focused on developing strength, increasing health, and preparing for meditation. This stage is as much about physical conditioning, as it is mental or psychological discipline. Pranayama, the fourth fold, concerns controlled breathing. Proper breathing is important for mastering true relaxation and self discipline. The proper way to breathe while practicing yoga is to breathe in, and breathe out while pausing in between.

Pratyahara is the fifth of the eight folds, and is concerned with the individual’s control of sensory stimulation. The intent is to induce a sense of inner peace and quiet, by tuning out external stimulation. Dharana is the sixth fold, and it is primarily concerned with focusing one’s concentration on meditation. When a meditative state has been attained the student is then on to the seventh step, Dhyana. The final step, Samhadi, is attained when all previous steps have been completed and the individual experiences a true oneness with all things. The student is, as of this point, in tune with the universal flow. Namaste!

What is Yoga? Yoga is a very old way of life that came from India that encourages personal health, spirituality and wellness. It doesn’t clash with any religion but does have an influence on our spiritual path. What Yoga is not: a religion, a circus act, looking intently at a candle in roomful of smoky incense, or just for adolescents who are flexible.
To practice correctly you need discipline, concentration and attentive breathing. The effect of serious Yoga practice is an excellent union of mind, body and spirit. No matter your age, knowledge, body shape, or physical skills can implement a Yoga program.

Hatha based or alignment Yoga has been around for approximately 5000 years. More and more medical practitioners and therapists are using Yoga as a remedy for many kinds of poor health conditions. The rewards of Yoga practice are numerous and consist of increased strength and flexibility, cardiovascular vigor, healing injuries, produces mental clarity and emotional balance.

Most significantly, it’s a complete exercise. Yoga practice can replace various exercises such as:
.
1. Weight lifting drills for strength.
2. Jogging or aerobics for cardiovascular workout.
3. Tai Chi for building awareness of balance and harmony.
4. Stretching exercises for flexibility.
5. Meditation for relaxation and tranquility of the mind.

Yoga is more than a stretching and relaxation system, it’s the ideal test for your mind and body.

Should you practice Yoga? All persons from couch potatoes to world class athletes can profit from the exercise of Yoga. Purna Yoga requires the perfect positioning of your body as you hold the poses you develop your physical strength and stabilize your emotional and mental condition. This does not happen overnight, if you are looking for a fast solution to a health problem you are better off looking for another type of exercise.
Yoga will be your preferred exercise if your goal is to reclaim your energy, health and dynamism. Yoga exercise is a perfectly balanced program that can be started by anyone above the age of eight. Your practice can be made more challenging as you progress or take it easy on days which you are fatigued.

Familiarize yourself with the various Yoga styles to have a better understanding of the classes that are offered in the Yoga schools near you. You need to be able to choose the correct Yoga style which will match your practice goals and your level of physical fitness.

No matter why you are interested in learning more about starting a Yoga practice, you will certainly profit from the self-control, breathing techniques and the physical exercise you get while practicing Yoga.

What goes on in the body when you are doing your asanas? Most of us realize that yoga increases and maintains flexibility, strengthens muscles and increases one’s stamina. All forms of yoga invite the participant to attend to their breath and notice the inward quieting. Most individuals who participate sense a uniqueness in this movement form. Many of us are satisfied with just sensing this, leaving an explanation of how it affects our bodies and spirit to the realm of the mystical.

Those who seek to understand how things work ask:

What effect does yoga have on one’s physicality? When one assumes and holds a yoga posture, this act of stretching and bending at the joints facilitates feedback to the central nervous system. This is done by means of beds of proprioceptive nerve endings located within the joints and muscles. Proprioceptors provide information about position, direction and rate of movement as well as the amount of muscle tension in a locality.

Yoga causes the central nervous system to respond with appropriate self-regulatory measures by promoting proper bio- mechanical use.

Self-regulation and self-healing are the physiological responses of the living body. The central nervous system takes the input from the proprioceptive nerve endings and by relaxing and tightening muscles in an organized fashion allows one to hold that posture. Changing balance of any one portion of the spine requires compensatory adjustments throughout it. Muscles respond automatically to stimuli from the nervous system which controls and integrates the activity of the whole body.

Flexibility is the proper and full range of motion within the joints of the body. This is brought about by the coordination of muscle tension and muscle relaxation via the nervous ystem.

Slowly moving into a proper postural stance and holding it provides for proprioceptive feedback that allows the nervous system to coordinate muscle action. Stretching slowly protects muscle fibers and their tendons from strain while resistance set up by holding the posture increases muscle strength. Improved muscle strength and stretch provides stability, flexibility and protection to the joints.

Stimulating the proprioceptive system or massaging the nervous system is but one of yoga’s benefits. The encouragement and development of proper structural alignment reduces strain on muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Proper alignment allows for better functioning of the organ systems.

Structure determines function. If body cavities are distorted, so too are the contents within. Distortion caused by poor posture changes the relationship of tissues within organs, leading to the dysfunctioning of the system. Stress, a product of the distortion, reduces circulation throughout the area.

By improving posture, yoga supports the proper functioning of internal organs by maintaining structural integrity of these systems. Proper position and relaxation of tension improves circulation. Nutrition to the whole system is encouraged by the fluctuating internal pressures generated by the different asanas. This fluctuation in pressure enhances cellular diffusion and osmosis.

Simply, motion is life! By moving us through bio-mechanically sound postures, yoga promotes a healthier life. To say that yoga only affects us physically would be denying the larger reality of our existence. However, it is the profound effect that it has on our physicality which frees us to experience the depths of our existence.

Each and every one of us experience being in all sorts of positions throughout the day whether it be sitting up, lying down, crouched or stooped. These are all part of your day to day activities but are they doing you any good like Yoga positions do.
Yoga positions for beginners may entail all the above mentioned but all these movements are carefully devised and structured in a way that you will benefit from the positions.

The affects of yoga has now been recognized by doctors who now agree that yoga
has proven to be very therapeutic in the results and effects it has on suffering patients. Doctors by the minute are making referrals for their patients to join local yoga classes as a way of encouraging the healing process to quicken up for certain ailments

Beginners after introduction to their yoga positions will find adjusting to the yoga moves quite easy. Yoga may include all the above mentioned positions – like lying down crouching stooping etc – but these positions now become yoga techniques which are classed as healthy exercises expertly structured up the yoga way.

For a new pupil about to practice yoga for the first time there will be a lot to take in and comprehend – only because of the freshness to it all. After a little time it all falls into place where your understanding is a lot clearer on your new found positions. Beginners in the yoga world will be guided throughout exercises and advised of the best positions. So you need not worry that you will get thrown it at the deep end.
Yoga is an unhurried exercise performed by all ages all over the world

The practice of yoga has strongly been alleged by many followers that the mind and the body unite into a combined formation. This belief is still upheld today as it were in the days gone by. Extensively performed and exercised in the right environment – yoga is an incredible way of claiming the therapeutic feeling of harmony.
Yoga positions for beginners if applied correctly can be followed through on there own without supervision.
For any exercise to give results you first have to believe in yourself and most importantly believe in what you do – this way your yoga positions will prove to be affective.

Yoga without doubt will create a more relaxed feeling as well as supplying your mind with positive thoughts. Research has found that yoga is one of the most popular natural ways in helping to speed up many healing processes of an illness.(Depending on the illness)
In your new world of yoga you will begin to notice the change in your joint flexibility after practicing the basic yoga positions. By doing these exercises you take possession of the (The take two factor) looking and feeling good.

Newbie`s will have no problem keeping up with routines that are carefully put together for the beginners yoga positions.
Expect the basic moves and positions to include standing poses, sit down poses and postures, balance, a combination of twisting and turning and the notable forward and backward bends. These yoga positions for beginners are not quite the movements that are exercised by a person who has regularly been doing yoga for some time. Yoga sessions may be shortened for the learner – the reason for this is simple, you are a beginner.

It is a MUST that self discipline is enforced. It is a MUST to be consistent. These are two important issues you MUST do – to gain results.

Yoga positions for beginners are so easy to learn. If you have not experienced any yoga session or have not seen one, that is not a problem.

Practitioners have talked about the unification of the mind, body and spirit. They claimed that this will be acquired through the practice of yoga exercises and techniques.

If it is your first time to hear of yoga, you will of course wonder how these exercises are done and how it looks like. Since you are a beginner, you will also definitely ask what kind of positions will be best for you.

Yogis have believed that the mind and the body are bonded into a unified structure. This belief has never failed and changed through time. Yoga has extensively performed an amazing procedure of healing oneself through harmony. This can be successfully done if you are in a proper environment.

With the great effects of yoga, the doctors have been convinced that yoga has some therapeutic results and can be recommended for people who have illnesses that is hard to cure.

If you have some illness that has been with you for a long time, you can practice the yoga positions for beginners and apply it to yourself.

If you want to practice the yoga positions for beginners, you must believe that yoga is effective and will help you to be cured or be refreshed.

Yoga is not just a recent application. It has been practiced and applied a long time ago and up to the present, the people are benefiting a lot from it.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Yoga Positions for Beginners now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Investigations and researches have been implemented to prove that yoga can be helpful in the healing process.

Therefore, it has been proved that the yoga positions for beginners are extremely effective and useful when it comes to maintaining a high level of joint flexibility. Although the yoga positions for beginners are just simple and basic, it can slowly bring up a healthy lifestyle and bring more when it is practiced over and over again.

The yoga positions for beginners are very interesting and exciting to perform. Beginners will never find it hard to keep up with the exercises because it is just simple. The technique of yoga gives a very big contributing factor to our internal glands and organs. It also includes the parts of the human body which is barely stimulated.

If you want to learn the yoga positions for beginners, you can learn it easily at home or at school where yoga is taught.

Some basic yoga positions for beginners include standing poses, seated poses, forward and backward bends, balance and twisting. These yoga positions for beginners are not that far from those who are used to practicing yoga. Only that the extreme poses and positions are handled at the latter part of the exercise.

The time duration in executing the positions are also lessened because a beginner cannot fully cope up with a longer time exposure in practice. Rest is required of the beginner so that he will not be drained easily to prepare the body for further positions.

Since you are a beginner, the most important thing you should understand is self discipline. Yoga is not just doing yoga and executing the poses. If you haven’t mastered the basics yet, do not jump into the complex stages and positions because you will not feel the essence of executing the yoga positions for beginners.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

Yoga positions and the practice of yoga can be beneficial to your mind, your muscles, and even internal functions like your digestive system. With so many benefits, it is no wonder that yoga’s popularity is on the rise. Before you take it up, though, it is a good idea to have in mind the right information to help you succeed and get the most out of the experience. Take these yoga tips into account as you begin your physical, mental, and spiritual journey.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice your positions often. Yoga offers many benefits to your mind, body, and spirit, and these benefits may be maximized with regular practice on your own in addition to your classes and with your teacher. As a beginner, it is especially important that you practice so that you may see and feel the benefits early on. With yoga, the frequency with which you work on your positions is as important if not more so than the length of the practice sessions. Try to find a few minutes each day to do a little bit of yoga.

Make sure that you practice your poses correctly. Most anything you read, watch, or listen to about yoga will tell you to practice often, but one of the yoga tips that sometimes get skipped is that you must practice right. Make sure that each practice session extends you. Do not practice only your best poses, but also work on poses you struggle with as well. Such a practice will be more productive and give you the feeling of self-assurance that you seek with yoga.

Maximizing Your Potential

One of the more important tips for beginners is to let go of your ego. In order to fully maximize your yoga experience, you must forget about such things as impressing your teacher and classmates. One of the central ideas of yoga is self-study. To fully study yourself, you must try not to compare yourself to the teacher or other students, but instead, you should strive to maximize your own learning and improvement during each class and practice session.

Finding Yourself

During practice, remember what is important. The depths of your poses are not nearly as important as how deep you delve into yourself. In yoga, you learn about your inner attention. Be sure to use that attention when practicing and when with your instructor to get the most out of your poses even if you cannot get deeply into them physically.

Finding the Right Teacher

No number of yoga positioning tips can compete with having the right teacher. When selecting a yoga teacher, make sure you find someone with whom you feel comfortable. Your instructor should have good knowledge and work through compassion and respect for you as a person. No matter how many books you read or tapes you watch, you will never get the feedback and encouragement that you will with the right teacher.

As a beginner in yoga, there are undoubtedly times that you feel a bit lost. That is okay. Hopefully, though, with these tips you will have an idea of what you need to do to feel more successful in your yoga experience. Yoga is not a religion, but in some ways it does become a way of life, and by following these tip you can start your journey toward that way of life on the right foot.

Pilates were invented by Joseph Pilate in the early 20th century. Yoga Pilates can prove to be of great help if all the necessary rules related to Pilates exercises is followed properly. Yoga Pilates is a regimen of exercise that can be equally beneficial and enjoyable. Very simply, Pilates is the contemporary part of the older Yoga movements. The number of Pilates exercises can be as many as five hundred exercises that can be performed by using only five chief instruments. Each pose of yoga has great significance similar to its Pilates equivalent. The important yoga Pilates basics that one must master are movement to and fro from center and revolving around center.

Maintaining good health and proper well being is the chief point of proper and regular practice of yoga Pilates. Regular action will definitely leave a deep, positive impact in your physical as well as mental life. After some days of practice you will find that your body’s flexibility is enhanced. The stretching that is involved in Pilate yoga helps in lessening the threat of injuries.

One of the biggest benefits of Pilates exercises is that your body’s balance is improved. With the passage of time, your body aches will reduce to a great extent as well. With regular exercise, the muscles are strengthened, resulting in the stimulation of your endurance, stamina and your energy level.

One great thing that you will experience as a result of Pilates yoga is that you will find that your body and mind is much more relaxed compared to how you felt before. Pilates yoga involves certain breathing patterns that help a person to calm down and relax, resulting in sounder sleep.

Now days Pilates are often prescribed by specialists like osteopaths, physical therapists, chiropractors and many holistic practitioners as a principal, practical taming process. Pilates indeed rank first in the western chart of fitness. The viewpoints of Pilates teachers and Yoga instructors are somewhat the same on the workings of the exercise. Many consider Pilates to be yoga on the machines while others see it as neuromuscular education or strength conditioning.

Basically Yoga and Pilates are reciprocally supportive: Yoga gives Pilates litheness and mobility while Pilates offers constancy and mobility in the movement. When united with Yoga, Pilates doctrine augments the practice by bringing central stabilization into light as well as training and substance for yoga postures (particularly in the strength to seize). Since Pilates is more about length and potency, Yoga helps to amplify the litheness capability.

Many people whose job demands sitting at a desk or driving almost 8 hours a day, gain a lot from Pilates Yoga. With easy ideas of figure and postural doctrines, it will support the backbone and unlock the oomph channels. It edifies consciousness and centering, suppleness and mobility. It is a coordination of associated exercises that are also helpful separately.

Dancers and professional athletes practice the Pilate form of exercise. This helps them to achieve flexibility of body and gain strength. Recently this form of exercise has become very popular among celebrities and models for keeping fit. There is no harm in practicing yoga Pilates. In fact, it is considered to be safe even when practiced during special conditions like pregnancy.

Since human beings began practicing yoga thousands of years ago, the symbol of a tree has often been linked with the discipline – and for good reason! Yoga has a multitude of branches when it comes to how you choose to practice and all of them are based on the same philosophy, or trunk, of spirituality. Hatha yoga is the one most well known to Westerners – the physical act of practicing poses. Here are a few other paths that you may choose to combine with your personal yoga practice.

Raja Yoga

In raja yoga, the main goal is a calm and spiritual, meditative state. There are eight principles that are followed strictly and in order in raja yoga and, though important, physical movement or poses is not the focus. The eight principles or stages are:

* Ethical standards or ‘yama’

* Self-discipline or ‘niyama’

* Posture or ‘asana’

* Breath control or ‘pranayama’

* Sensory withdrawal or ‘pratyahara’

* Concentration or ‘dharana’

* Meditation or ‘dhyana’

* Liberation or ‘samadhi’

Karma Yoga

The focus of karma yoga is on service and treatment of others. The basic idea is that our experiences today are a direct result of our past actions. Therefore, everything that those who practice karma yoga do today is in an effort to create a better future for themselves and those around them. They do this by eliminating the motivations of pessimism and egotism. This means living for others instead of ourselves.

Jnana Yoga

Those who practice jnana yoga are most concerned with the development of the mind. They are scholars interested in the philosophy behind yoga and they their yoga practice focuses on studying and understanding ancient and traditional texts. This is thought to be one of the most intense yoga disciplines as the learning is intense and difficult.

Unlike branches on a tree, the paths of yoga often intersect and overlap. Though it is difficult to hang from two or three tree branches at once, it is not difficult at all to practice more than one path of yoga. Try them all if you like and choose the ones that most appeal to you.

According to Paramahansa Satyananda, Yoga Nidra actually begins with the experiencing of these chakras.

The chakras are also known in other cultures, as we have seen with the Hopis in the USA, but also by the alchemists in Europe and the Inuits of Greenland and Canada, to mention but a few of the more evident examples.

In the deep Yoga Nidra, we use eight of the major chakras to contact the various planes of consciousness.
On my newly released CD, “Experience Yoga Nidra” (previously on cassette tape) I use the mantras (certain sound syllables) connected to each chakra. I also use visual symbols in accordance with the traditions of India and Europe.

When I started to produce “Experience Yoga Nidra” while teaching in the USA, the Indian musician Roop Verma was inspired to record the ancient musical symbols of the chakras. He was the first ever to do this. This special music has been merged with my text and guidance during the deep Yoga Nidra.

Chakras are often spoken of in connection with Kundalini Yoga, a set of methods and meditations that can be used to harmonise and awaken the psychic energy. (The name Kundalini Yoga, however, is also used as the trade mark of a contemporary movement – although they only teach standard yoga).

Kriya Yoga is probably the most profound and effective form of Kundalini Yoga. In an awesome way it can strengthen the body’s energy field, remove depressions, increase creativity and open you up for a first hand knowledge of the genuine mystical or spiritual aspects of life.

The chakras have corresponding areas in the brain. When they are relaxed and harmonised during Yoga Nidra, the release of unwanted states such as confusion and lack of concentration begins. People who awaken their chakras through yoga and meditation, open up to a previously unknown capacity for communication, insight and creativity.

As it is generally admitted by yoga practitioners and yoga trainers, yoga sessions are very much about self equilibrium, peacefulness and meditation. By practicing meditation we can all reach the sublime state of learning the purpose of our existence and maximizing our will to reach it.

Studies have proven that meditation highly contributes to both physical and psychological well-being, which is why yoga routines consider the practice of meditation as one of its main principles.

Reducing physical pain, stress and blood pressure, meditation promotes a state of mind, by which we can achieve self-healing. Due to all these uncontestable benefits that this practice involves, there is a great variety of information available in different formats, regarding the most efficient meditation techniques, postures, courses, products and forums.

Religion and psychology promote meditation as well, as a way of assessing our actions and seeking self improvements. As many theories and ancient believes demonstrate, our present life is determined by our previous actions, which is why it is vital to analyze and meditate on the things we do, in order to find ways of improving ourselves and thus, creating a brighter future.

Meditation is definitely one of the main principles of yoga, as it has been verified that it is a trustworthy tool to use for achieving mental clarity and health. A very important thing to know is the fact that there are various types of meditation exercises, designed for advanced or beginner yoga students. Thus, you have to carefully analyze all details and information provided on each and every one of these techniques and exercises, so that you obtain the maximum results, from your meditation routines.

Despite the fact that many people believe that, just like breathing, meditation is something that comes naturally and cannot be taught, there are a few aspects of this process, which can increase your efficiency and your results, in no time. One of the aspects you have to bear in mind is the time of the day when you carry out your yoga meditation; hence, it would be perfect if you could do it either in the morning or late in the evening, as during those particular moments of the day, the atmosphere is charged with a high level of spiritual energy.

Here is some advice regarding meditation:

* Before starting the meditation session free your mind of all worries.
* Try to locate a quiet place, where you are not likely to be disturbed.
* It is recommended to choose the same moment of the day, as well as the same place, for your meditation routine.
* Focus on meditation; do not let your mind get lost in other thoughts.
* Try to follow a pattern when breathing.
* Your head, back and neck have to be placed in a perfect straight line.

Remember that it is crucial both to perform the meditation session and to observe the results, in order to get close to experiencing the supreme synchronization between the body and the spirit.

One more study tells the world, that Yoga can help with weight control and weight loss. The latest study was held by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

The study involved 15,500 healthy, middle-aged, men and women. This is a group that typically has difficulty with weight loss, since the number of calories needed declines, and the energy levels needed to burn calories, is not what it used to be.

Unfortunately, this is a fact that I have become painfully aware of during the past few years, and cutting back on food was my unwanted last option.
Although, I cross train almost daily, it took me one year to lose 16 pounds of extra weight.

Back to the study: Yoga practice was defined as practicing at least 30 minutes once a week for four or more years. Comparatively speaking, this is truly “bare minimum,” and many Yoga teachers used to say that this amount of Yoga will do nothing.

How times change; Yoga has been keeping people fit for approximately 5,000 years, and its many health benefits are still a mystery worthy of more studies.

Alan R. Kristal, Dr.P.H., the study’s lead author at Hutchinson Center’s Public Health Sciences Division said, “Men and women who were of normal weight at age 45, and who regularly practiced Yoga, gained about three fewer pounds during that 10-year period than those who didn’t practice Yoga.”

Until all the studies are in, it would be safe to say that adding Yoga practice to your weekly routine, and eating wisely, will contribute to weight control or weight loss.

When seeking a Yoga teacher, find one who is compassionate, yet will encourage you to practice more frequently. The results you will gain from regular practice, of three to four Yoga classes per week, will be extraordinary, especially, if you practice Yoga for years.

Yoga is very low impact – in comparison to many aerobic exercise routines, and can be practiced for longevity. Your knees, spine, hips, and shoulders, will thank you for the condition Yoga will keep them in. Many of today’s “standard” forms of exercise do not have the same “bragging rights,” as Yoga.

With respect to eating, take the time to identify hunger and cravings. You will notice that they are not the same thing. Being a chocolate lover, it is much better to eat a piece of chocolate, now and then, than to buy a dozen chocolate donuts. This is not to justify, or surrender, to chocolate, but to eat it in moderation, and not every day.

Based upon what I have said so far, it is all about identification, control, and moderation. We have to stop “mindless eating” habits.

Recently, researchers found that women who received a 1200 mg. calcium supplement, on a daily basis, reduced their number of premenstrual food cravings by 54%.

On another note: When you have anxiety, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol, which may increase the volume of carbohydrates you eat.
Carbohydrates temporarily increase our levels of serotonin, making us feel relaxed for the short term.

Learn the art of substituting foods for more nutritionally dense variations. I cover this, in detail, in my eBook, “14 Days to Change Your Life,” which will be released in August 2005.

Being in the best shape you can be is also connected to positive thinking.
Therefore, use self-improvement sources to keep you on the right track toward optimum health.

Experienced Yoga practitioners often feel discouraged when a naturally gifted dancer, gymnast, or martial artist, performs an advanced asana with little effort. As I have mentioned before, there are people with elongated joint capsules and their extraordinary range of motion is a gift. You and I may have to work at it, but the many rewards of Yoga practice are still there.

Yoga consists of many facets, and Asanas, are just one of the many parts of Yoga. Many students who have extraordinary flexibility admit they struggle with another part of Yoga – such as: The student who just can’t calm down to meditate, balancing in asanas, Pranayama, Yogic Philosophy, and so on.

Unfortunately, I have seen many promising Yoga practitioners quit practicing Yoga, due to a competitive mind-set. Within their own minds – they were in competition with every student in the class and, possibly, their Yoga teacher too.

Remember that Yoga means “union.” In simple terms, we can say union of mind, body, and spirit. There are many more explanations about union, but that could be a separate article. There are also many branches of Yoga and, therefore, many types of union, but competition is far from union.

Competition enhances the ego, and the ego is just a part of your personality. The ego resists union for its own survival. The ego is our social mask and does not want to share anything.

Remember, the next time you start to feel envious of another student or teacher – that is not union. If anything, it will hold you back from union and many more valuable contributions that Yoga can make to your life.

You will find a variety of Yoga and related topics to learn about. The moderators are Yoga teachers from various locations worldwide. Please feel free to visit and participate.

When you practice yoga, it is, of course, not necessary to have a full understanding of yoga history in order to fully benefit from your practice. A brief understanding of the history behind yoga, however, may increase your spiritual practice and inspire you to find out more about the tradition behind the discipline.

The first writings about yoga were written in Sanskrit in early religious manuscripts in India called the Vedas. The word ‘yoga’ has many meanings. The root of the word is ‘yug’ which means ‘to hitch up’, referring to fastening horse bridles to a carriage. But yoga also means ‘to actively put to use’ or ‘yoke’ or ‘join’. Today, it is agreed upon that yoga is a method of joining or a discipline. Men who practice yoga are called yogi or yogin and women who practice yoga are called yogini.

Yoga was first passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. It wasn’t until about 2000 years ago when an Indian named Patanjali wrote ‘The Yoga Sutra’ that the philosophy of yoga was committed to paper. Yoga is not just about stretching and breathing and holding poses. Yoga is a philosophy on how to live life and deal with the challenges that human beings face daily. The Yoga Sutra defined this philosophy in 195 statements.

Sutra can be defined as ‘thread’ or ‘aphorism’, which means ‘a short declaration of truth’. It also means ‘the concentration of a large quantity of information into a simple definition’. It is a way of looking at truths that apply to everyone despite culture in the clearest way possible.

Hatha yoga, or the yoga that you do when you take a yoga class or perform yogic poses, was begun as a physical form of meditation. The physical act of yoga calms your body and allows your mind to become calm. It also gives you the physical strength to sustain long periods of meditation.

When you perform the physical practice of yoga, you are only engaging in half of the discipline as it has been practiced for thousands of years. Yoga is an incredible form of exercise and calming for the body, but it can also be used as a spiritual practice and a way to calm the mind and will as well.

Hypertension is a common disease nowadays, which, if it’s not treated corectly can cause many damages to the other organs of the body. People who suffer from high blood pressure need to lower blood pressure in order to neutralize the effects of hypertension on their body.

Changing the life style and sometimes taking medicines is recommended for the people who need to lower blood pressure.

It is very helpful in the treatment of hypertension the yoga lifestyle, which can really help you lower blood pressure. Yoga exercises, called asanas, involve stretching and moving the body into various positions. During these exercises any tightness or tension observed in the body should be consciously relaxed. Yoga practice offers stress management techniques, which are essential to lower blood pressure. There are many yoga asanas, maybe hundreds or even thousands, but only certain asanas can help you lower blood pressure.

The most efficient for lowering blood pressure are the forward bends, which have a pacifying effect on the brain, the nervous system, the blood circulation to the brain, and they also help you reduce the stress. All these lower blood pressure. Furthermore, these asanas slow down the pulse rate, so they lower blood pressure.

They are also helpful to lower blood pressure the sitting asanas, such as Upavista Konasana, which remove the tension from the ribs and the intercostals muscles, and also help you breathe easily. Many hypertensives have difficulties in breathing and these asanas help them in this matter and they also lower blood pressure.

Other helpful asanas are the supine poses, like Supta Baddhakonasana, which relax the abdominal region and have a calming effect on the nerves, facts that lower blood pressure.

There are also recommended for those who need to lower blood pressure, the inversions, such as Halasana and Setubandha Sarvangasana, which have a refreshing effect on the nerves and reduce the sympathetic tone very fast. Usual practice of these asanas regularizes blood pressure, so lower blood pressure when it’s abnormally high.

At these previous asanas you can add the pranayama and the Svanasana, which relax the mind and senses, and stabilize the blood pressure, so lower blood pressure in case of hypertension.

One of the amazing things about yoga is that despite the great benefits that it produces, it requires no costs. There is not specific yoga training equipment that one has to use in order to obtain the desired results and there is no such thing as the perfect environment required for practicing yoga.

All this is a direct consequence of the fact that yoga is, more than a practice, a state of mind and a life style. That is why your will, as well as your believes and attitudes towards this philosophical path are all that actually matter. Moreover, a balanced and healthy diet, based on natural food, is a key issue for preparing yourself for your first yoga session. What we eat can strongly affect both our mind and our soul, so it is crucial to mind what we eat.

Even though you do not need a specially designed place for performing your yoga class, make sure, when electing the room where you will be holding the class, to choose a place as far away from distractions – such as radio, street noise, TV – as possible. The place also needs to be clean and quite and, if possible, ventilated. A blanket is the accessory that you absolutely need in order to gain comfort when carrying out the exercises and the meditation, as they are performed in either sitting or lying positions, but, however, a towel or a mat, could work, as well.

In what concerns the clothes you are supposed to wear, try to select something very comfortable and loose, such as training suits, sweat pants and a t-shirt, shorts or loose pajamas. Some people would rather wear no clothes at all, but, nevertheless, most practitioners put something on, especially if the yoga session is not private.

It is also highly recommended to have an empty stomach, before starting your yoga exercises. As a general rule, one or two hours after a main meal is the ideal time for practicing yoga. As breathing is a key element in yoga training, do not forget to also clean your nostrils and your throat.

In case you have not decided which could represent the best moment of the day for carrying out your yoga session, you have to know that both morning and evening practices can result very beneficial to your body and mind. Thus, performing the exercises in the morning can contribute to your good shape for the whole day, as it improves your vitality level. On the other hand, evening yoga practices helps inducing a restful and peaceful sleep.

Your yoga session should not exhaust you. Do not hesitate to take a break, when you feel tired. Actually, short breaks are common, between difficult exercises. Keep in mind that as little as 15 minutes of correct yoga practice can produce marvelous results on your body and mind.

As a final idea, try to remember that the most important thing, when practicing yoga, is your attitude and your desire to discover the incredible sensations and experiences this ancient philosophy can provide.

Yoga is a science. That is something to grasp. Yoga is a science, and not a vague, dreamy drifting or imagining. While it is true the west has been familiar with the practice of yoga for a relatively short time, yoga is not a new discipline , and it has been studied and practiced in many countries during the last century. Yoga is an applied science, a systematized collection of laws applied to bring about a definite end.

It takes up the laws of psychology, applicable to the unfolding of the whole consciousness of man on every plane, in every world, and applies those rationally in a particular case. This rational application of the laws of unfolding consciousness acts exactly on the same principles that you see applied around you every day in other departments of science. Yoga uses many of the techniques that are used in more modern and lately developed psychological or even medial physical exercise disciplines.

As one ages he learns that by looking at the world around you, how enormously the intelligence of man, co-operating with nature, may quicken “natural” processes, and the working of intelligence is as “natural” as anything else. The yoga way not only combines this feeling of “cosmos” but also works beneath the surface to strengthen the unity of man with the universe. We make this distinction, and practically it is a real one, between “rational” and “natural” growth, because human intelligence can guide the working of natural laws; and when we come to deal with Yoga, we are in the same department of applied science as, let us say, is the scientific farmer or gardener, when he applies the natural laws of selection to breeding. The farmer or gardener cannot transcend the laws of nature, nor can he work against them. He has no other laws of nature to work with save universal laws by which nature is evolving forms around us, and yet he does in a few years what nature takes, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of years to do.

This can b done by applying human intelligence to choose the laws that serve him and to neutralize the laws that have a negative effect on the goal of the farmer. The farmer brings the divine intelligence in man to utilize the divine powers in nature that are working for general rather than for particular ends.

Yoga is something that can make a real change in peoples lives, we have seen this many times, from the physical practice of yoga to the philosophical implications, through the knowledge of the science of yoga, all that is yoga combines into a bigger, complete discipline that is beneficial for humanity. For some calling yoga is a way to allow this to pass as a acceptable means of physical development, for others it seems like it contradicts the very spiritual nature of yoga, the different faces of yoga, as its different uses sometime creates the illusion of one single use.

People practice yoga for a variety of reasons. Many yoga practitioners are interested in the health benefits that come from regularly performing the routines. Others want a state of harmony between inner and outer self. Still others practice yoga primarily to relax.

A State of Harmony

The profound relaxation available through yoga includes a state of clarity of mind, and of harmony with and understanding of the world. If such a state of relaxation is your goal, you will need to use most of the yoga techniques available. Pay special attention to breathing, diet, correctly performing the exercises, and meditating.

The deep, prolonged breath one learns through yoga helps the brain stay oxygenated, which contributes to mental clarity. Diet influences the structure of our body as well as our brain. The exercises (called asanas and pranayamas) were developed thousands of years ago to produce beneficial results.

To have the desired effects, yoga routines must be carried out correctly. Poor yoga practices will likely produce disappointing results.

The Keys

Your attitude and your focus are the keys to making your yoga experience deeply satisfying. Entering the profound stage of relaxation and synchronization between your inner and your outer self can occur only with appropriate action.

Relaxation is actually a necessary part of every yoga routine. The body needs to relax after practicing the exercises, especially the more demanding ones. Certain asanas require an unusual positioning of the body, which can result in discomfort if the relaxation stage is omitted.

Bridging Worlds

Yoga connects the spiritual and material worlds, and relaxation is the bridge that brings the practitioner back fully to the present reality.

As a general rule, during relaxation exercises, you will lie down comfortably and meditate. Your yoga trainer will suggest ways for you to gradually move and position your feet and arms. Yoga routines may have different relaxation exercises, but they all have the purpose of cushioning the shock of contact with the surrounding reality. Relaxation also helps to maintain a certain degree of peacefulness created by the routine.

But talk is never enough. The only way to be sure of the relaxation benefits of yoga is to try it yourself. The only thing you have to lose is your tension.

I am not a Yoga teacher. I’ve only attended about 3 Yoga classes although my gym offers Yoga classes. So, why am I writing about Yoga when I know nothing about it? I am curious – that’s my nature. And through the years, this curiosity has helped me develop a career as a freelance graphic designer and writer. And it is through a very weird type of Yoga (my own type, or whatever I thought was Yoga at that point in time) that helped me swim ashore when I was teetering between drowning in the sea of depression after giving birth to my sons.

Both times, I was hit badly and constantly turned to the bottle for a solution. The bottle never will be a solution and yet, I hoped it would be.

Yoga and the soon-to-be-mother
There’s all this hype about Yoga that I didn’t fully understand before – what’s all this clamor about Yoga for pregnancy?? What’s the big deal? You have a big belly, retch half the time, have a sudden liking for pickle and have to wear your husband’s clothing….you need Yoga to help you deal with all that?

But of course, I only began the understand the benefits of Yoga as a mother when I started going for the classes, read about them in books, magazines and websites. This amazing method can help mothers regain their physical strength and sends them into a journey of self-discovery and improvement. Instead of helping you deal with others, in Yoga, everything starts from within. Therefore, to solve a problem, you have to go inside.

And inside a mother, it’s always a battle zone…and it’s tumultuous half the time. Pizza or no pizza? Sex or no sex tonight? What kind of mother will I be? Will I sprain my own child’s fingers when I try to put his/her clothes on? With the kind of bizarre thinking (and hormones) going on inside our mind and our body, mothers often have a difficulty finding peace. Your doctor will tell you time and time again that although nutrition is important, finding peace, quiet and calm in yourself and in your life is just important for an expectant mother.

Yoga for the regular mother
Considering the fact that Yoga can help bring calm into calamity, it’s obviously a good choice for you to try out Yoga if you’re thinking of starting an exercise program. Better yet, join a gym…which is what I did. I used to scoff at people who join gyms and judging from the loud dance music, I remember thinking to myself… “Yikes…gym is just a sorry excuse for a disco. Instead of serving peanuts, they serve fruit mixes. Instead of alcohol, they serve bottled water. But everyone’s trying to get into a social thing in the gym. It’s a social club!”

And as a mother, I don’t have the time to join a social club.

But I was wrong. As soon as I gave the 10-day free classes trial, I was hooked. No makeup, no dressup (oh, the younger gym-goers still dress up to the nines and apply mascara for gym) and no pretense. I go to the gym and attend the Yoga class to sweat – to end up looking ugly but feeling damn good!

Mothers can open up their minds and free up their hearts after Yoga
Yoga has this tranquilizing effect on people that can hardly be explained with words. It has to be felt. It’s like you’re striking those poses, stretching those muscles and bending over backwards…and all this while, your mind is opening up and all impure thoughts are just flying out of it.

Yoga can be like ‘taking out the trash’.

And this can be good for the whole family, especially the kids, as well. After a session of uninterrupted Yoga, you’ll feel renewed. Even a grumpy, sleeping, tired and beaten-out mother will have more energy to spend time with the kids. Instead of feeling disgruntled and trapped, a mother can use Yoga to actually find an opening, a release that helps relax, not only the body, but the mind as well.

I don’t know about you…but I am going for more classes because I have seen the benefits. Yoga can do a whole lot for the ordinary non-married kidless people….imagine what it can do for a mother.

Yoga indeed has become a popular, mainstream alternative for exercise and fitness. Here in Los Angeles, hardly a day goes by that I don’t see people walking by with their Yoga Mats rolled up underneath their arms coming from or going to their Yoga class.

Most stay-home moms have picked Yoga up as well as their method of keeping fit and maintaining physical, mental and emotional balance. Upon seeing the apparent results most naturally wonder how their children might be able to benefit form using Yoga for kids. Well, it is my hope that as a Yoga enthusiast myself, you will find this article much helpful in choosing the yoga poses that could be incorporated into your child’s recreational endeavors.

Yoga for Kids: Recommended Poses.

1. Sun Salutations: These are a group of poses that serve as a warm up to a yoga session or class. For staying fit, keeping obesity at bay and fun (especially when performed at a high speed), the Sun Salutations will be an immense source of enjoyment for kids getting introduced to Yoga. Do you know in India, they actually hold contests of how many rounds of Sun Salutations kids can do in one go? Yeah, they are that much fun.

2. The Shoulder Stand: Trust me, behind your back, kids already try this pose. You probably did as a kid without knowing you were actually doing Yoga. So in your use of yoga for kids, make sure the inclusion of this pose is of priority. Executed with the bridge pose and fish-poses as counter poses, for kids doing yoga, the shoulder-stand will reap many benefits.

3. The Forward Bend Pose: This teaches your kids self-dependence and aids immensely at curbing digestive disturbances as an added bonus. I’ll have you know, some authorities of Yoga have said that these three poses mentioned thus far are enough for humans-although this may be slightly erroneous or incomplete as the execution of their counter-poses for a specified amount of time is also of great importance as well.

4. The Wheel Pose: Okay, I was walking through the park the other day and saw a kid who couldn’t have been more than 8 years of age executing this pose for literally 90 seconds. Yes, I counted this out of amazement and intrigue. It’s been hailed as the “forever young pose”, consequently when using yoga for kids; this has got to be included. Co-incidentally it is the counter-pose to the third pose above.

5. The Relaxation Pose: Of course this is a must-do for everyone. When introducing your kids to yoga, this will be a good time to show them how to relax with its use as a secret for relief from school stress and the little challenges they may face in their young lives. Yes, they do have some demands placed on them parents. Moreover showing this to them now will go a long way with laying the foundation on how to deal with the daily demands of life.

Other great poses to consider are the Bow, Triangle, Spinal-Twist, Inclined and Diamond Poses. Kids should also be shown proper breathing exercises with emphasis on Abdominal Breathing.

Other factors to be included when using yoga for kids are the use of a proper, nourishing diet of Fresh Fruits and vegetables-(emphasis on leafy ones) and positive thinking techniques. On the subject of diets, you can add some celery juice to their fresh fruit juices if you have one of those popular juicers such as the juiceman. This is one way of sneaking in a good source of powerful minerals into their bodies, tastefully. Oh, before I forget, they love BARHI dates! Moms, these are just like their rather harmful counterfeits (candies at the store) but of course are sources of great nutrients.

Yoga for kids is best begun around the age of seven, however, kids-being-kids, they of course will emulate what they see you doing, so as long as you know they are not in harm’s way, it’s okay to let them dabble a bit into Yoga.

Indeed using Yoga is both fun for kids and beneficial for as the book of Prov. 22. 6 states, it is one effective method of “Training your child in the way he should go…” as the discipline and confidence that comes from Yoga (and Martial Arts too-just a hint)
may only be attainable from this ancient form of physical culture.

So Moms and Dads, go on and get your kids started on yoga. You’ll be glad you did.

Why is it that Yoga for kids is becoming even more popular today than it was in days of yesterday, well children are just as much prone to suffer from stress just like adults do. How can this be a great many would ask. Kiddies pressure come from additional education requirements (like more homework) We all know the importance of furthering our childs education to give them a better chance in life but when it can destroy life then it is time to take action.

Yoga for kids is a priceless gift to give to a child where they lay claim to peace of mind. Pressure put upon our kids today can be brought on by other factors like being bullied. Children also suffer at the hands of the parents while watching them worry over debt or whatever comes with surviving in the 21st century. How can we help the mind of a tormented child, simple introduce them to Yoga?

Yoga for kids help them become aware of the body and start to understand how vital it is to keep in good shape. Even at an early age kids need to develop better body awareness and after doing this they take control all by themselves to lead an active healthy life. Children who practice yoga self educate themselves on self control flexibility and coordination.

Exercises for children have proven in some cases to assist slowing down Hyper active behaviours. Yoga has helped kids by channelling their impulses in a positive way. Yoga moves for minors differ just like that of the way adults practice. A couple of poses for children that work perfectly well are the Warrior pose and the Tree poses. Both are exercises that help the child to find calm, build up confidence and balance.

Some children take to yoga like water of a ducks back whereas others have to be coaxed and need assurance and the benefits pointed out to them. The secret behind getting a dubious child to enrol in a yoga class is to explain how it is a popular craze among other children. Point out how much fun it can be. Explain in fine detail of the Warrior posture moves in your quest to encourage the child. Ease their discomfort if afraid to practice yoga alone. Let them know they can team up with a partner, this will also help build up on their team skills therefore gaining a bonding with others.

There will be times where the children will find it difficult to focus and concentrate but is that not the case with all children whether practising yoga or not. Children and relaxation are not very compatible. Just to have a child close their eyes for a period of time will be task in its self. Ask the child to visualize something that he/she are interested in or enjoy doing.

Try them with the belly breathing yoga exercise while listening to soothing relaxation music. Ask them to imagine they are up in space floating or making sand castles on the beach. After the session is over invite the child to share their experience of how they felt while practicing the Yoga for Kids routine.

If they divulge their secret thoughts then this can only mean that the child has opened up and what a major breakthrough that is. To have your child share a secret is enough to say they want to be heard.

Those silent thoughts that once troubled your little boy/girl will give you as a caring parent the insight on how to deal with what was once a tormented silent mind.

Children are exposed to a lot of stress factors nowadays.

There is homework that they do daily…
the competition with other children…
TV and computer games…
and even over-scheduling.

And just like adults these kids need something relaxing to turn into and that could be: Yoga.

Yoga for kids helps then develop better body awareness, it also delivers to them a total self control, flexibility and coordination.

All of these they could carry not just on their class but this exercises can help them with their daily routines.

Yoga for kids has shown to help children who are hyper active to tone down and to brighten up those attention deficit ones. Children today crave movement and sensory motor stimuli that can help then balance out their inner souls flow.

Yoga for kids helps them channel out this impulses in a positive way.

The main Yoga for kids poses that seem to work perfectly with kids are the warrior pose and the tree pose. These two yoga for kids poses helps instill in them calm, confidence and balance.

The trick to get them to do Yoga for kids is to go beyond just doing the proper poses, you should have to get them think about what the real posture means.

Let them think that they are really what the poses are symbolizing, let them be the postures – strong and confident like a warrior.

Yoga for kids with partners is also a good way to build up trust with you children. It develops their team skills and fosters a closer bonding.

Some kids when it comes to relaxation have a big trouble closing their eyes and having them focus on their exercises. One thing that encourages a child to relax is visualization. Let them think of something that they really like and let them imagine being like these things.

You may also have them focus out on belly breathing first and have them listen to soothing and relaxing music.

Then ask them to imagine their favorite spot in the house or let them think that they are in outer space floating, or let them visualize that they are at the beach, playing their favorite sport or doing the best activity that they like.

Sometimes for boys letting them think of a favorite girlfriend helps them relax, but this is sometimes hard to do because they become shy and intolerable when this kind of issues are discussed. Just stick to the visualization thing if this technique is quite complicated for you.

Every day at the end of each relaxation exercises, encourage the children to share their own experiences. Ask them to tell to the group what it was like to be in their visualized surroundings. Ask them also to share what place have they imagined they where in.

Another approach is to create a guided imagination by telling them a story with a calming theme of some sort.

As you know children have the most active imagination, they imagine all sorts of things. And at this point of imagination it makes them feel calm. So when doing yoga for kids let them think that they are walking on a green pasture.

You can even let them think that they are butterflies in a beautiful garden. The main idea in here is to instill a sense of peace and feeling of oneness with nature.

Yoga for kids should be taught more often and in different places. It is important to teach children the meaning of union of mind, body and spirit.

If you currently do yoga, or are considering indulging in it then you need to know these techniques. Yoga is a great way to maintain health in your life. You can do yoga about anywhere from home to with an instructor in the gym. But, you must know these techniques or you might not be maximizing your outcome from your yoga workouts.

If you are doing yoga, there are some yoga techniques you need to understand and apply. No one can run away and be free from major illnesses so the best way to get away with it is to exercise in order to maintain good health.

Yoga is considered to be the most effective way to stay fit and healthy. The best thing about it is you can have it at home or anywhere you want it. You also buy your time because you can do it any time of the day.

a lot of people prefer doing yoga to maintain a good and healthy life.

Fitness is important in doing yoga. Yoga techniques are helpful in maintaining good organs and other parts of the body such as the muscles, joints, glands, tissues and vital organs. These are the main focus of setting yoga techniques.

Here are some yoga techniques that you can practice during your yoga session. Despite your busy schedule or the crowed place you stay at, keeping up with these yoga techniques will help you go through it.

The five yoga techniques include: posture, relaxation, meditation, deep breathing and movement of joints. Each technique has its own role and function.

The movement of joints is called the ‘sandhichalana’. This is one of the yoga techniques that focus on the joints. The joints undergo full movements which include the movement of the hands, movement of the neck and the movement of the lower limb.

In relaxation, there are some yoga techniques that will deepen your concentration and prevent your attention to be drawn easily. Rather, now withdraw at all.

The Hong-Sau is a Yoga technique that helps and focuses on the latent powers of your concentration. This technique helps you to release thought and fight all distractions s that you can concentrate on the problem you are targeting. This helps you to develop Divine Consciousness which is from within.

The Aum Technique expands your awareness which is beyond the limitations that your body and mind creates. This helps you maintain a powerful meditation and gives you to personal experiences of what Divine consciousness brings.

There are some ancient yoga techniques that you can apply. Although there are a lot of yoga techniques to choose from, applying these techniques might nt be easy for you especially if you are a beginner.

In getting concentration during the yoga session, you can boost your awareness by thinking clearly of some creative ways on how you can be attentive in all situations. You should be able to figure out what makes you feel tense and how to release it.

After the heavy day of work, you should find new ways on how to stay peaceful and calm. Concentration is your best tool and guide.

The main objective of these yoga techniques is how to create your awareness for a satisfying relaxation. You should be able to find out how to effectively release the tension inside your body and where to release it. In order to do so, your mind, body and spirit should be at a high level.

Techniques are of course helpful but these are just a matter of front if you can’t apply it. The best way still is to have your own yoga techniques that will help you go through the process successfully.

Now that you know all that about yoga, you should get more out of your yoga workouts. These techniques are helpful, but it’s also great to have your own little twist on it, or your own techniques completely.

Yoga is all around us these days. From Sting to Madonna, to maybe even your next door neighbor, everyone is hooked upon this fitness craze and with good cause. As a form of physical exercise, Yoga indeed is a force to be reckoned with. But just how can one go about using yoga for beginners? It is my hope that as a Yoga practitioner and enthusiast, this article will be of assistance in this regard.

If you have been considering learning yoga or have recently begun a yoga practice, I hope to provide you with some useful and helpful tips in which may be helpful to you in using yoga for beginners.

I have been doing Yoga for quite some time now, 6 years to be exact and since the first day I swore of free-weights and exercise machines, my use of Yoga and other body weight exercises like Hindu-Push ups (in my honest opinion a Yoga derivative) has been the main method for keeping fit. (in addition-of course- to my diet which co-incidentally changed when I started Yoga as a beginner those 6 years back.)

I will now enumerate the yoga poses to be learned as a starter which can aid or supplement your knowledge from your yoga classes, books and or DVD’s.

Yoga for Beginners: Yoga Poses to Learn first.

The Sun Salutations: Okay, this is the core of Yoga itself. This exercise is a combination of Yoga Poses, Breathing exercise, Sun Bathing and Prayer. It is the warm-up of a yoga class or personal yoga session and is a combination of poses, 12 to be exact, that are performed in a synchronized motion with emphasis on rhythmic breathing. They mildly exercise the arms and legs and are often recommended for obesity, depression and fitness. Friends, several Martial Artists, Indian and African Wrestlers perform tons of rounds of these exercises alone, so in learning yoga, for beginners, this will be a guaranteed must-know.

The Shoulder Stand: Don’t be intimidated by the name at all. Even for a beginner, this yoga pose is a piece of cake, really. It is actually a very important pose though, arguably the most important as its Sanskrit name (Savangasana) actually means the “all members” or “all limbs” pose, meaning it affects all parts of the body. As a beginner, be aware that some poses (such as this one) do have specific counter poses, so if you’re taking a Yoga for beginner class or learning from a DVD, make sure you are taught these poses to counter-act and balance the effects of the Shoulder-stand pose on the body, these are the Bridge and fish poses. Here’s a hint or ratio to adhere to in their combined execution: 6:1:2 , meaning the ‘bridge’ and ‘fish’ poses should be held for a sixth and third of the time you spend in the Shoulder-stand Pose respectively.

The Corpse Pose: You’ve got to learn this Yoga Pose as a beginner. It is the relaxation pose that is usually executed during and after your session as a means of relaxing the muscles used for your yoga exercise. At the end of a session, it is usually done for about 15 minutes and one always comes out feeling refreshed after its execution.

Arguably, these are the 3 main poses you have to lay emphasis on in learning yoga for a beginner, but there are other poses that should be included as you go further. They are

1. The forward Bending exercises: Head to Knee pose, Plough Pose and Wind reliving pose

2. The Back Bending Exercises: The Bow, Inclined Plane and Wheel Poses.

3. The Spinal Twists

4. The Balancing Exercises: The Peacock, Crow, Side Plank and 4-limbed staff Poses

5. The Exercises in Sitting and Standing Positions

6. The Abdominal and Breathing Exercises.

Each of these groups has several variations on the root poses; however, let me tell you a secret that would go a long way in aiding you as a beginner learning Yoga. Do at least 24 round of the previously mentioned Sun Salutations and the ease in executing these poses will come almost naturally. Trust me.

There are several styles of Yoga to pick from and in seeking the right style of Yoga for a beginner; it might be quite difficult to pick the best. However, since Iyengar Yoga seems to involve a lot of props that can aid till flexibility is re-gained or enhanced, it may be one of the easier choices to pick. Kripalu and Bikram Yoga may also be quite easy to pick up as well as a beginner.

To find the best yoga for beginner class around you, you can always check your local YMCA or YWCA branches as they almost always carry information on Yoga classes for all stages: from beginner to intermediate.

One other factor that I must stress is the need to also pick up a Yoga diet for health and aiding these poses to both strengthen and detoxify you. This will-as a result of the symbiotic relationship that exists between Yoga and a proper diet-speed up an increase in fitness, weight loss, focus and the ability to execute these poses easily.

Though Yoga for beginners may best be learned from a certified instructor, your own practice will remain paramount for your mastery of this form of physical culture and there are tons of books and DVD’s to help in regards to this. Moreover, keep in mind that as a beginner doing yoga, not unless you intend to do lots of Sun Salutations as mentioned above, you may still want to incorporate some body-weight resistance poses (that co-incidentally are still Yogic in origin) such as the Hindu-Push-ups and Squats and the Bridge (now this is and the first one are basically Yoga poses in motion friends…).

This combination will see that till you have mastered the use of Yoga poses to make a complete session, you are still burning up enough calories and exercising the muscles for both weight loss and fitness.

Doing Yoga is fun, exhilarating and extremely rewarding for lots of reasons that may have already got you researching about it, so needless to say, choosing this exercise, even as a beginner, will go a long way into making for a fitter and healthier you.

Yoga has helped in curing and preventing many diseases. The poses and asanas stimulate the required organs and help you with your ailments. Asthma is a very common problem. It is basically shortness of breath due to the chronic lung condition. Even kids are not spared by this disease. You suffer wheezing, coughing, heaviness in the chest causing blockage in your lungs. During asthma attack lack of oxygen can lead to death too. By doing the required asanas you can fight back.

Yoga betters your asthma condition due to the free flow of air. By continuously practicing yoga you can leave your medications at bay. Asthma attacks would lessen with the increase of yoga practice. The breathing exercises are very useful to open up your lungs for fresh air.

Back bending postures are very good to open up your chest to improve your heart and lung condition. Practicing upper back bends and chest opening postures helps, in exhaling during asthma attacks. Forward bends and lower back bending poses help in inhaling, during the attack. Mucus can be removed by inverted postures.

Pranayama is an excellent way to have a controlled breath to avoid any asthma attacks. According to the triggering factors for asthma attacks, one should practice pranayama. Dirga prananyama is a multi-purpose asana and helps in slow and deep breathing exercise. Nadi Sodhana can help you with stress and emotional turmoil.

Asthma triggered by cold can be helped by Ujjayi pranayama. Allergic trigger patterns can be avoided by Sitt Kari or Shitali pranayama. Kapalbhatti pranayama is very good to reduce the mucus congestion.

These breathing exercises are very good to strengthen and relax the muscles of lungs. During the asthma attack this proves to be very useful. It reduces the nerve activity in the airways causing fewer bottlenecks during the attack. It helps cleanse the air passage to breathe easily. It helps in stabilizing the autonomous nervous systems.

Pranayama if practiced regularly can do lot of difference to your health. This would help you to have asthma free life. Props used while doing these asanas may help you better. Breathing helps to soothe the lining of the bronchial tree and helps in preventing the external allergens. It is said that the single and long inhalation is very good for relaxation.

Some Asanas which would relieve Asthma from your life

– Dandasana
– Baddhakonasana
– Upavista Konasana
– Virasana
– Supta Baddhakonasana
– Supta Virasana
– Setubandha Sarvangasana
– Adhomukha Svanasana
– Uttanasana
– Tadasana Samasthithi

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions before following any of the asanas from this article and the site. To avoid any problems while doing the asanas, it is advised that you consult a doctor and a yoga instructor. The responsibility lies solely with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Yoga is a group of ancient practices which were first developed in India. It is still popular in the country today, and is considered to be a spiritual exercise. Many Indians see it as a way of attaining enlightenment. Yoga is broken down into four primary categories, and these are Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Raja Yoga. However, these are only a few of the many variations of this exercise. Yoga has become popular in the West, and is well known because of its many postures.

While yoga is commonly seen as just being an exercise in the West, it is an important part of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. For those who are followers of these religions, yoga is not only seen as being an exercise, but is also a method that can be used to attain enlightenment. This practice has existed for thousands of years, and has been mentioned in a number of important Indian texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Contemporary yoga is comprised of a number of different principles, and many of these are taken from Indian religions.

The purpose of the postures is to keep the body healthy and fit. Practitioners will often chant, and may perform breathing techniques as well. Meditation plays an important role in yoga, and many western yoga establishments present the practice in a way that can help those who don’t practice Hinduism. Many people in the West are attracted to yoga because of its ability to relax both the body and the mind. In addition to this, it is a great way to stay physically fit. Many people who practice yoga view it as being a great way to improve their health or enhance the function of their minds.

The goal of some yoga practitioners is to achieve what is called samadhi. Samadhi is a complex mental state where a person can achieve ecstasy. The goals of those who practice yoga will vary based on their religion and background. Those who practice Hinduism believe that yoga is away of getting close to God. Buddhists believe that yoga can help individuals achieve a deeper level of wisdom. Western nations place an importance on individualism, so many people in the West will use yoga as a method for self improvement.

Yoga is a very ancient practice that places an emphasis on having full control over the body and the mind. Many people who use it believe that they will be able to gain insight into the underlying structure of reality. The Yogi is a person who will attain an state of enlightenment where their thoughts will cease, and they will achieve a type of union. Yoga is a very complex subject which can mean different things for different people. Even if one does not wish to attain enligtenment, this practice can allow them to enhance their own insight. Even though yoga has strong connections to Indian religions, it is not a religion itself. Even though the exact age of this practice is not known, it is estimated that it has existed for at least 6,000.

Have you never questioned yourself why you are not one of the millions of people worldwide practising Yoga. People in that many numbers don`t get it wrong in choice of exercise on how to keep fit and healthy.
Research behind Yoga exercise has proven to many disbelievers that it is very affective on infected body departments like the mind – joints and muscles.

Yoga exercises practised under the guidance of an expert is the best route to take on your first introduction. Instructors can show you the best techniques on how to combat stress and stiffness of the joints.

Yoga moves and poses encourage the muscles to become fully toned up while at the same time going to work relaxing the nervous system. The power of Yoga should never be underestimated.
Body organs are not ignored. Yoga exercises see to the body organs in the way of a rub down similar to that of a massage where it acts as a detoxifier to help rid waste toxin build up in the body.

What does yoga involve is a common question asked by newcomers, well the answer to that is yoga gives you control over two things – one is your breathing and the other is the physical exercise which helps improve strength and flexibility.

Music to be played in the background of a yoga class will be picked accordingly to create an atmosphere for what ever exercise is taking place.

Orchestral tunes set the scene for a serene and mellow feel. Meditation music will relate to comforting sounds – sounds such as the call of the forest, whistling birds and wind chimes.
Concentration is very important when in the sedate calm world of meditation – so therefore the music has to be suitable. For Example the famous ballet swan lake would never of had the same affect if those graceful moves were performed to the tune of I`m a Yankee Doodle dandy.

Invigorating noises that please the mind can help improve yoga exercise. The word Yoga is like music to some people`s ears due to the fact that they get to keep in shape while increasing lubrication of the ligaments, tendons and joints.

Health matters are behind many a person`s involvement with yoga because of its amazing results, helping to ease pain and pressure. Why not make the most healthiest decision in your life and let others ask themselves why they are not part of the now million and ONE people doing yoga.

What has yoga exercises and cannabis got in common – well that is simple they both relate to joints. Cannabis is smoked in a joint and yoga exercises help relax the joints. Let us focus on the how the natural way is the legal way to ease troubled minds and aches and pains.

The Natural way comes with no prison sentence.

Yoga exercises – moves and postures are easily practiced but most importantly should be supervised under the guidance from a master in the field of yoga. Tutorial videos are quite popular among the housebound. People with an illness that prevents them leaving the house can still follow the thousands of Yogis world wide by practising yoga exercises in the comfort of their own home.

One of the top reasons for why yoga exercises are performed on a wide scale is due to stress related concerns. Anxiety and sufferers of depression have seen the difference in themselves after learning yoga. Doctors are now referring their patients to join local yoga classes. Doctors realize that this is a safe natural mental medicinal medication which can ease symptoms of different types of illnesses and disorders. (Depending on the illness)

For beginners who are attending a class for the first time you can expect your yoga exercises to be light movements. This may entail short workouts on twists, balance, sit up poses and different other moves. You may also find that there is a time limit on how much you do in the first few stages of your yoga exercises due to you being a novice.

Once you have become familiar with what ever type of yoga you have chosen to practice – it is then you will begin to notice the change in your whole approach towards practice sessions. Yoga and the people who exercise this exercise become very devoted to an extent that it becomes a passionate piece of their life and why wouldn`t they when it helps them to keep in shape and lead a healthier life

Remember what is on the inside needs as much nurturing like that on the outside – in other words muscles joints and internal organs. There are many types of yoga exercises carefully structured to loosen the bones taking away stiffness or any other discomforts that can cause bouts of stress. By practicing yoga exercises on a regular basis you will notice the flexibility of how the body alters in a very relieving manner.

If you are not sure of the type of yoga that best suits your needs then talk with a yoga master. The Practice of yoga exercises due to health matters should not go ahead until you speak with your doctor – this goes for any exercises you intend on taking up.

Yoga is not a cure and has no magical powers where you regain sight after years of living in darkness nor can it cure the deaf from their world of silence but one thing it can do is work MIRACLES on the mind. This is done by positive thoughts inserted into the mind by your own way of thinking where you take what is rightfully yours and that is contentment.

No debate can arise from Yoga Exercises or is questionable on just how powerful yoga can be. Yoga has proven to give beneficial rewards to millions of people in helping them to keep in shape while at the same time assisting them to lead a healthy lifestyle. Your health and yoga is a match made in heaven. Yoga Exercises and the people who practice regular routines are finding it easier to cope with stress on top of easing body aches and pains.

Times have changed dramatically from the days of yesterday – in the days gone by life was a struggle for families – but some how they coped with the illnesses that plagued and terrorised their well being. In those days you never seen a jogger a treadmill or come to think of it any form of exercise like yoga. The only thing that the modern world has in common from the days of the notorious Jack the ripper is the plague. Citizens today are plagued by stress brought on by pressure from work commitments to running the home and much more. Why do we put up with the torment of coping like the people of yesterday who were a lot less fortunate than ourselves – where their options to help reduce any health risks were zilch?

Yes changes have dramatically altered but in our best interest where health matters is a major concern.

Yoga Exercises do go back to ancient times but why did so many poor unfortunate urchins die from cholera etc while trying to pick a pocket or two. The answer to that is there was no awareness programme administered on how to stay healthy and fit. (Which may have helped save lives?) Could this be the reason why so many children have been introduced to Yoga Exercises by their parents in the 21st century?

Yoga exercises for children start with simple and easy moves – yoga moves and poses for kids are normally named after animals to make it more fun as well as interesting. For example the butterfly pose is very popular among the children – this exercise includes where the child will sit with their knees bent leaning down towards the floor and the soles of the feet slightly touching. Parents are becoming more involved with health maintenance procedures in keeping their children fit and healthy.

By enlisting your kiddies to join local yoga classes you have just thrown them a lifeline where they will learn more on body awareness. One of the main reasons for introducing a child to the world of yoga is – obesity.
Some children take to yoga exercises like a duck to water and pick up quickly on the understanding as to why they are performing such exercises. But then you have those who struggle to come to terms with their exercise and have no idea to what rewards can be gained. What really matters is – as long as the kiddies are enjoying themselves then that is one rewarding result in itself.

Later in life when the child is fit and healthy – it is then that you will find the child`s perception of the whole yoga experience will answer their question as to why mummy and daddy did what they did and that was to send them to practice yoga exercises.

One of the essential things about yoga, together with the positive attitude, is the diet. It is highly recommended to perform your yoga session after about 2 hours from a main meal. Many specialists agree that what we eat is reflected both in our appearance, as well as in our health state. In other words, it is important to mind the things we consume, in order to prevent illnesses and discomforts.

However, the question related to what does healthy food mean, remains a constant reason of inquiry for many people. According to reliable studies, a very diversified diet represents the ideal food for any human organism. However, fruits and vegetables, containing fibers and vitamins should be a permanent component of your daily meals. Furthermore, everything that can be defined as natural food is recommended, when it comes to preserving your state of well being.

Despite the fact that many people try to eat as little as possible, as they believe food can produce them harm, you have to keep in mind that your body needs nutrients, in order to properly function. Nevertheless, do not exaggerate when eating, even if you are consuming healthy food, because it will not have the same beneficial effect on you. Try to stop eating once you are not hungry anymore, or, even better, stop before reaching the full saturation state. By doing this, you will discover that the state of fatigue, which we sometimes experience after eating, is considerably diminished, while your energy level goes up substantially.

Another issue related to eating is how often should a healthy person eat? Should we have three meals a day? Should we avoid having dinner, in order to prevent becoming overweight, because we do not move sufficiently during the night? Or is it better not to have lunch, so that you do not have to deal, in the middle of the day, with the unpleasant sensation of fatigue, which we experience after serving a consistent meal? Well, the right answer to all these questions would be to eat whenever you are hungry, as your body needs to be fed in order to function at the standards you desire, but, nevertheless, pay attention to what and how much you are eating.

More than a simple energy source, food can be a way of purifying one’s body and soul, which is why, together with the variety of exercises, yoga trainers encourage the practitioners to keep a wise diet, based mainly on natural food. This way, their body is protected from the danger of contracting toxins and it is prepared, at the same time, to find the synchronization with the soul and mind, which is actually one of the main goals of yoga practices.

As a final remark, when carrying out constant yoga practices it is important, in order to reach your goals, to meditate both on what you are doing to your own body, as a direct consequence of the food you are eating, and to what level you respond to your soul’s and mind’s needs.

Yoga is an ancient science that aims to create a balance between the body, mind and soul, thereby curing physical mental and spiritual disorders that are caused by this imbalance. In common language, yoga means union; it’s a union of the individual consciousness with the super-consciousness. To be exact, yoga aims at reminding the individual of this union that already exists and has merely been forgotten. To put it simply, yoga is experiencing and knowing what already exists, not inventing anything new.

At the physical level, yoga can create a balance and harmony among the various organs and systems of the body, allowing the healing powers inherent in the body to work and cure physical ailments. At the mental level, yoga is the harmony between mind, heart and hands or between thought, speech and action. At the spiritual level, yoga aims to destroy the individual ego that stands between the individual and the cosmos, thus attaining to the ultimate truth.

Yoga is basically a set of systematically devised physical exercises that lay emphasis on balance and posture. Combined with breathing exercises they have the capacity to cure almost any ailment of the body and mind. The underlying concept of yoga is to create the situation in which the human body can function at its optimum capacity.

Yoga Asanas or positions are simple and effective body movements that massage the muscles lubricate the joints and tone the whole body. Yoga postures help to keep the body healthy and the mind peaceful. Asanas exercise the nerves, glands, ligaments, and muscles. These exercises increase flexibility and balance in the body.

Yoga poses refer to the sequence of exercises which is extremely important to get the best results. They are scientifically graded to move from the simple to the complex, to cure the body first and then move on to mental and spiritual goals.

Though it is best to begin yoga practice under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher, you can now learn to do these exercises at home with the help of videos and yoga software. Once you have learned the basic exercises you can make it a part of your daily routine. It’s best to fix a time and place for doing yoga so that you can be regular and reap rich benefits from it. After some time you will see a sea change in yourself. Your body will become shapely, attractive and healthy; you will have a positive attitude and your worldview on life will become beautiful. You will feel blessed!

Does it matter what clothing is to be worn when practising Yoga, well of course it does – yoga exercises are about comforting the mind so why not go the whole hog and have the lot – comfort on the body also.
There are no certain identities as to what Yoga Clothing to wear – but common sense will prevail and point you in the right direction if you want comfort while working out.

Your Yoga clothing should give you room to manoeuvre because of all the different types of yoga moves performed which may entail twists, turns and stretching. By dressing in slack or baggy clothing you will be more content doing your yoga – stretchable elastic materials is also practical clothing for these exercises. Perspiration and how heavy you sweat needs taking into consideration when selecting your yoga clothing. Certain materials can make matters worse.

Think vacation when choosing garments – holiday clothes are ideally suited for yoga. We all relax on vacation and pack the right clothes for the trip so why not for the trip down to the local yoga club. Shorts and light tops are apt but if you prefer leotards or a swimming costume then that is fine along with tights or leggings.

If your choice of yoga clothing is stiff and tight fitting then this can hamper some of your yoga moves and poses. This can also have an affect on your concentration levels due to the stress of discomfort.

The ideal yoga clothing most suitable to wear when working on a routine in an air conditioned room is to wear long sleeves or elbow length. Air conditioned rooms can be a lot colder than you imagine so wrap up if your yoga exercise at the time is not a strenuous one.
In the cooler months Yoga clothing that is most popular is the track or jogging suit

Clothes will differ for different types of exercise. Take the Bikram Yoga which is widely known as hot yoga. It is an exercise that you would expect to wear shorts and light tops.
Your own personal taste and style is acceptable at all times – the only reason for this guidance checklist on yoga clothing is in your best interest. The main objective to directing you in dressing wisely is for comfort thus leaving you to enjoy your yoga routines.

Take time to enhance the dish so as to speak with added dressy bits and bobs. Colour can be added by wearing multi coloured wrist or headbands, even a bandana if preferred can spruce up any yoga clothing. How good is this Yoga lark where you dress down to dress up?

Your yoga practice and the way you breathe are intertwined. You won’t fully experience the benefits of yoga without first learning how to breathe properly.

Different types of yoga practice call for different types of breathing, so it is important to note from the beginning that there is no one right way to breathe in yoga. If, in your yoga practice, your goal is total relaxation then your breathing should reflect that. This means long deep breaths meant to slow your heart rate and allow you to fully relax into the yoga pose. Here are a few tips:

* The diaphragm is where the breath originates in yoga and in everyday life. When you breathe in, your stomach puffs slightly because your diaphragm is filling with air. When you breathe out, your stomach flattens as your diaphragm empties itself of air. When you breathe, be sure that your stomach is moving, that you aren’t restricting this movement in any way.

* It’s important to relax every muscle in your chest, your face, your neck, your shoulders – even your jaw – in order to benefit from a relaxing breath in yoga. One way to do this is to clench the body part in question and then let go entirely. You may not even realize that your muscles are locked until you try to contract them.

* Keep your breaths smooth and easy during your yoga practice. Everyone breathes at their own natural rate, but becoming conscious of your breath does not mean controlling it in any way. Notice your breath and relax into your own natural rhythm.

* Breathing faster, in and out, is a natural reaction to stress or excitement. It stands to reason then, that relaxing breath in yoga should accentuate the exhalation. Breathe in naturally and make sure that your exhalation is longer than your inhalation and fully empty your diaphragm and lungs of air.

* Pausing between breaths will allow you to relax even further in yoga. No need to rush through your relaxation.

* When you breathe, feel the oxygen in the lungs and visualize it reaching every extremity, every toe and finger. Let your whole body enjoy the relaxing breath in your yoga practice.

When you learn how to breathe, you will find that it comes naturally in your yoga practice and in time, will continue in your everyday life.

As per one report nearly 14 percent of British youngsters are clinically obese. The cost of Obesity to the NHS is about £ 1 billion a year. By 2010 the number of overweight and obese youngsters in the European Union nations is expected to hit 26 million. An estimated 20,000 obese youngsters will have type 2 diabetes as per another report.

Obesity put strain on heart, respiratory and eliminatory system. It also increases the chances of diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Generally it is seen that obese people are also lower in vitality.

Obesity occurs in mostly two types of people. In stressful people who eat very fast and in excess and secondly in household person who eat from boredom. As the people put on weight they tend to become less happy because of their appearance and become more frustrated. Some people think by taking insufficient food can help in reducing weight. But when they start dieting, body starts to slow down in order to conserve energy and boost its chances of survival. This is why weight loss tends to slow down as we continue to diet. So in a way dieting is not the good method for reducing weight.

The most common cause of obesity is overeating and less physical movement. Overeating problem is coupled with poor diet and also wrong timing of eating said Subodh Gupta, Yoga expert from India. In fact to fight growing obesity among children, some of the schools in the UK are planning to introduce yoga for thousands of young students. This is an excellent step in the direction of fighting the obesity problem of UK.

Yoga practice provides an excellent means for maintaining balanced weight and overcoming obesity problem, provided a daily yoga program is followed with regular routine according to Subodh Gupta Yoga expert based in London.

Gentle yoga asana (postures) followed by Sun salutation exercise are very good for removing blockages and librating pranic energy in our body and helpful in revitalizing the body and mind. One should do yoga exercise to their comfort level but never to strain oneself. Yoga asana (postures) helps in building up strength and vitality slowly but surely. Yoga Exercise does not have to be intense or vigorous, but it must be regular and should amount to at least 30 minutes a day. Along with Yoga exercise, healthy diet at proper time and practice of relaxation technique is very helpful for overcoming obesity and maintaining balanced weight.

Being a practicing Christian myself, there are very few things in Yoga that conflict with Christianity. Some critics argue that Yoga and Christianity cannot co-exist, and yet we know that Yoga is not a religion.

However, that depends on your opinion. Recently, I was reading about someone who claims Kundalini is “new age witchcraft.” Sorry to say, another person recently stated, “Good Christians should avoid the devil’s exercise,” in reference to Yoga.

Are the Salem witch trials still so close to our hearts? These claims are interesting because ministers and priests have been practicing meditation for centuries, without any complaints.

I suppose, if someone devoted enough time to meditating on bad thoughts, meditation would be a bad experience.

To be honest, it depends upon what you meditate about; and in truth, within some schools of Yoga, Hinduism, or Buddhism is taught. For me, this has always been a conflict, as I love Yoga, but have no desire to change my faith.

The many teachings of Yoga and meditation, are non-sectarian. Now, if Yoga were a religion, which would it be? The principles of Yoga are universal.

The Yamas and Niyamas are similar, in principle, to the Ten Commandments, but as a Christian you have the right to pick and choose what you want from Yoga. You also have the right to avoid sectarian ashrams.

Yoga practice, and meditation, give many Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Moslems, a closer connection to God, but there will always be someone who feels tempted to change their faith.

Let’s be honest, the people who worry about a sudden change of faith are, for the most part, rooted in two distinct camps of thought.

1. Someone who is on the fence about their own religion and not quite sure where they really stand.

2. Severe intolerance of any idea that is new or might result in opening the mind.

Let’s stop the intolerance now. When you are driving in your car, waiting in line, or come face-to-face with someone who is different from you, please set an example for your children and give the other person a break.